Six women, including film producer and wife of matinee idol Rajkumar, Parvathamma Rajkumar will be awarded on March 8 on the occasion of International Women’s Day.Women and child welfare minister P M Narendra Swamy on Wednesday said Parvathamma will be honoured for her contribution to women’s empowerment. T J Niveditha from Bangalore, Sujathamma from Bellary and Srividya Muralidhar from Madikeri will be honoured for their contribution to art. Prema Bhat and Sarojini Chavalara (literature), Basalingamma Gundappa Kumbara from Bijapur (education) and J Manjushree (sports) will be the other awardees.

Deeksha Stree Shakthi Group from Dakshina Kannada district will receive rolling shield and Rs 50,000 as the first best group in the state.

The department will also felicitate 15 women for their service in women welfare, art, sports, education and literature.

The Kittur Rani Chennamma Award will be conferred to six institutions that have worked for women’s development; the three best performing Stree Shakti self-help groups will be felicitated too.

To encourage Stree Shakti groups, a divisional-level award will be given to the four best performing ones in the name of Yashodharamma Dasappa, the state’s first women minister.